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"It is not Metheny's best album" - we can pretty much say this of any artist/band that puts out an album these days - we each have our own favorite (Watercolors, Wichita Falls, Imaginary Day, Travels, American Garage, Still Life, etc). His playing comes across as honest.Yes, this sounds a bit like a Metheny album. Mehldau isn't as good as Lyle Mays, I agree, when you blend it in this sort of context - not taking anything away from his incredible talent - I just think that Lyle Mays fits better with Metheny, but anyways, we are talking about a different lineup here. Mehldau does a fantastic job on this album.
There's plenty of interesting musical moments, if not on the chops, then in the texture of the music. Part of the reason is the unmistakable sound of Metheny's guitar synth and the slight pop flavor. It's not as energetic as the album "I can see your house from here", but it's not Musaak either. It's got its own Watercolors moments. It's something in between. However, this IS a strong album, a real strong one.
The music flows very well, the songs -- all new compositions, I think -- are very, very solid, and you'll find plenty of great guitar solos and cool comping. Metheny's playing on this album is a combination of his early style and a lot of Wes Montgomery. The music is refreshing. He isn't trying to dominate the lineup at all.
Lyrical, melodic, rythymic, articulate, and courageous. Both are creative and courageous. Brad will get there soon. What a package. Pat has more time under his belt and may not feel fear, but Brad is going to be a creative force and I would expect he and Pat to team up again.Pat has to be the most articulate (fingers) guitarist in the world. His fast runs are not repetative notes, they are all fingered indedendantly.
The music really sings in the way that only Pat Metheny can make it. This one, with quartet, is melancholy at times, then upbeat. I highly recommend this one. This really sounds more like a Pat Metheny album than the companion disc he did with Brad Mehldau. That one was too busy, and lacked real tunes.
Once I got past my initial reservations, I wanted to play it over and over again, too.I now treat the two CDs as though they were a two-CD set (actually, both were recorded during the same session, so they easily could have been combined into a single release) that I want to play over and over again. This is what I wanted to hear from these guys. Hearing the second album had somehow prepared me to enjoy the first more completely. Soaring melodies, driving rhythms, the kind of music that makes you just want to play the CD over and over again.After playing the Quartet album over and over again, I then went back to the first recording.
Earlier this year I picked up a copy of these two jazz giants' first collaborative effort, simply titled Metheny Mehldau (Nonesuch 79964-2). The set is stronger than the most recent releases by either the Pat Metheny Group or the Brad Mehldau Trio. Yes, it is not quite an energetic as the Quartet CD, but in its own way, it is just as intense--perhaps more so. Although I enjoyed it, I was disappointed that it contained more duets than music featuring the whole quartet (Metheny playing with Mehldau's trio).
To my surprise, I found myself enjoying it much more than when I had first auditioned it. Highly recommended to fans of both ensembles. Lo and behold, a few months later the Quartet album hit the streets, and as I played the first cut, I found myself grinning from ear to ear as the kind of sound I had envisioned burst forth from my speakers, Metheny wailing on guitar as part of a really tight and soaring quartet sound. Where Metheny's group albums had become more and more grandiose, this album with Mehldau's trio seemed more jazz-oriented--more direct and more exuberant.
There are a couple of songs that stand out (Towrds the Light in particulary) but much of it is infected by sameness. This CD pales by comparison. There is nothing evocative or memorable here. Pat Metheny in my mind is one of the few musicians whose music is evocative to me.
I had most of Pat Metheny's musical output. I am no fan of the Jim Hall collaberation for much of the same reasons. Great dinner music but it starts and stops there. I did not have this and I did not have his very first CD "Pat Metheny Group." I ordered both CD's at the same time.
I get chills even now thinking of some of his songs in my head. I'm still glad I bought it and have nearly a complete collection but don't get your expectations too high. I love the "Pat Metheny Group" CD and if you don't have it get it as it really is one of his best. The music is pleasant but goes nowhere.
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